It is 1961 and Martin Clifton is now a member of the C.I.D. posted to Cowes on the Isle of Wight, famed for its sailing activities. He finds himself in the middle of a mini crime wave, where someone is stealing from boats in the harbour, but these enquiries are interrupted by an overnight robbery at a house in the town, and this is soon followed by the murder of a woman which shocks the local community. As the investigations begin, it soon becomes clear that spouses are straying from their marital beds. Follow the investigation as the case unfolds, leading to a second murder as the guilty secrets of those involved come to light, ending in a dramatic conclusion.